Professor Hugo Pienaar

Firm:

Areas Of Practice:

Arbitration, Employee Benefits, Employee Share Incentive Schemes, Employment Equity, Employment Law, Labour Law, Mediation

Phone Number:

087 056 0106

Cell Number:

0836271623

Email address:

HUGO@THOMSONWILKS.CO.ZA

Position:

Director

Address:

Park 10, Robert House, 5 Nollsworth Crescent, Nollsworth Park, La Lucia Office Estate, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Region:

Kwazulu Natal / Durban

Area:

Umhlanga / La Lucia

Qualifications:

South African Society for Labour Law (SASLAW)
Ranked Band 1 by Chambers Global
Winner of the ILO Client Choice Awards (Employment & Benefits – South Africa) in 2017 and 2019
Professor Hugo Pienaar is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s foremost authorities on employment law, bringing both academic depth and practical leadership to the legal field.

History:

Professor Hugo Pienaar is a Director in the Employment Law practice at Thomson Wilks. He is a highly respected employment law specialist with decades of experience in litigation, dispute resolution, and strategic employment advisory. Hugo represents leading South African and international corporates, including global brands such as Nissan and L'Oréal.

Hugo has served as an Acting Judge in the Labour Court and lectures employment law to postgraduate students at institutions including North-West University, the Da Vinci Institute, and through the Law Society of South Africa. He has contributed to several textbooks and was part of the government task team responsible for drafting South Africa’s labour legislation.

His international experience includes:

Advising on labour frameworks for organisations in the UAE, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand
Leading study groups abroad to research affirmative action practices
Contributing to United Nations training programmes via the University of Stellenbosch Business School
Hugo holds a professorship at North-West University and is referenced in over 1,000 academic publications on Academia.edu. He is a regular commentator on television and radio and a contributor to industry publications such as Without Prejudice Magazine, Road Freight Industry News, and LexisNexis.

Practice Areas & Expertise

Labour litigation in the CCMA, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court, and Constitutional Court
Strategic employment law advice for large-scale mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring
Strike interdictions and restraint of trade enforcement
Collective bargaining and dispute mediation
Employment equity, equal pay, and discrimination matters
Affirmative action programme development
Chairing and prosecuting disciplinary hearings
Development of TES (Temporary Employment Services) models based on international principles

Training & Publications

Facilitates workshops on strike strategy, disciplinary procedures, and arbitration
Speaker at leading conferences, including the Annual Labour Law Conference and SASLAW events
Contributor to the SABPP Women’s Report, University of Johannesburg and Stellenbosch Business School
Regular author of legal opinion pieces and case law commentary